


Course Correction

by Mysterious_Prophetess



Series: Bittersweet Memories [13]
Category: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi | Spirited Away, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Gen, Good Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko, Kurogiri is Not Shirakumo Oboro, Onmyoji Shimura Tenko & Bakugo Katsuki, Rating is for swearing, Sensei | All For One is Midoriya Izuku's Parent, Spirited Away AU, Tuna's Spirited Away AU, dad for one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:33:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28911651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysterious_Prophetess/pseuds/Mysterious_Prophetess
Summary: When boundaries are crossed, there are consequences.
Series: Bittersweet Memories [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100699
Comments: 26
Kudos: 113





	1. Runoff

Izuku felt strange patronizing the bathhouse but the tubs and water were exactly what he needed after that flood. Luckily he’d found some valuables to pay with and if those happened to come from the part of his river where the Dehisa family lived, it was just a strange coincidence. _Really_. He waved to Tsu and the others he’d worked with and he even spotted Zawa slinking about.

Izuku walked out into the market and saw a human child dart past scared and alone. He caught Mirio’s ethereal eyes and the ghost nodded. He was already on it. Izuku saw the parents had become goats and one decided to chew on his robes. So, he growled at them and that accidentally-on-purpose sent the goats skittering away and out the portal.

“What did you do?” One of the Witch’s staff asked.

“The goats chewed on me,” Izuku replied as he held up a ruined sleeve. The servant—a frogman— nervously took in Izuku’s horns and gulped.

“I’ll let her magnificence know what her livestock did,” the frogman said before he bolted away. Izuku looked back in time to see Mirio shove the little boy out the archway through the portal too.

He arrived at his river and saw one of his father’s vassals was there in dragon form.

“His Lord bid me to tell you Dinner is off for the next week. He’s going to be busy,” the fellow dragon said.

“Send my thanks for the heads up and thank you for telling me,” Izuku said. The vassal dragon bowed before they took to the sky.

Izuku was too tired to fly to Uncle’s place so he cooked for himself—he’d learned from Uncle and Toshinori. The simple dinner was filling and he made to get ready for bed.There was a crash as someone dared break into his house. What idiot would be stupid enough to enter a dragon’s home uninvited! Izuku despite being a kind soul was still a dragon and dragons are territorial as hell. He snarled and slowly stalked to the sounds’ source. It was a haggard looking human man wearing what had once probably been a nice suit.

“You have five minutes until I throw you into the river to leave now,” Izuku snarled.

“Not another one of you revolting freaks!”

“This is the spirit world. In here, **_you’re_** the freak,” Izuku hissed. He could tell from the light reflecting off the man’s face, his eyes had begun to glow, like they did when he was pissed. The man tried to attack Izuku but instead Izuku went a little feral on him and soon he was injured and on the ground. _The human stink will take days to get rid of_. Izuku dragged the human roughly and transformed after he jumped into the air and arrived at the portal before he flung the human man none-too-gently through.

“Humans, humans, everywhere.” Izuku saw it was the Witch.

“I saw the ghost scared another one out before any spirits could complain about them,” Izuku said.

“That ghost is good at getting them out before they can stink, I’ll give him that,” the Witch said.

“How’d an adult miss out on being cursed?” Izuku gestured to the gate.

“Must have entered through another portal.”

——————————————— ———————

Earlier in the Human World

“It was here, Kachi!” Katsuki nodded before he paused.

“Why’d you call me that?”

“Well, names are important and this is spirit stuff so, Kachi!” Eri said. _It’s better than Kachan_. Katsuki saw the beads on the ground. He took out his cellphone and took pictures of the alley.

“Why do that?”

“Because, might miss something with the naked eye,” Katsuki said. He pulled out a ziplock bag and gathered up all the beads he could see along with the central pendant and tucked that into his onmyoji bag. The next thing he took out was his favorite brush, some inks, and a pre-prepared set of spells. Katsuki sorted through them and found the one he was after: identification spell. He added the ink—and it was red because hell yeah!—and soon he frowned. Mist Spirit. Water based. Faint traces of dragon. _Misty ass serves a dragon?_ There was another spell he had that Manami had made: a sort of forensic spell that used divination backwards. She had to put it together because Tenko—the dork—had been right about Katsuki not being able to do divination. This was Manami doing a lot of the work for him and he just added power for it to work. Katsuki used the spell and it played shadowy images of Inko holding Eri as she ran. The man who tried to grab her snagged the talisman and broke it. Misty appeared and sent the man away before abducting Inko but it nearly failed because of Eri. It looked like it was just Eri’s own talisman at first but Katsuki then saw Eri’s spiritual power flare up brightly in the spell before Inko let go and Eri was left alone.

“Did I really do that?” Eri said in awe. Katsuki looked at Eri and really looked at her.

“Yeah. Let’s get back to the shop. We really need to talk to the Geezer.”

————————— ————————

“What’d you find out?” Tenko asked.

“Mist spirit and it’s affiliated with a dragon. Eri nearly stopped it. Tenko, she’s stronger than me,” Katsuki said.

“That’d make her easily one of the strongest spiritualists in nearly three hundred years,” Tenko said.

“Are you trying to say she has so much magic power she’s stronger than both of you?” Hikari asked.

“Yeah. She nearly stopped that Misty a-h-bad guy from taking Aunty Inko. Now that her power’s awake, we’re gonna have to give her basic lessons to keep it contained or she could do stuff by accident,” Katsuki said.

“She’s only six!”

“And she’s already powerful enough to take on a mid-level spirit and nearly _win_ ,” Tenko said.

“Maybe Deku knows the dragon the misty guy works for?” Eri said. They looked over at her.

“I’ll try to get to him. I only know of one portal to the Spirit World that’s stable,” Tenko said.

“No. I’m goin’. You need to stay here with these two and call that Deadbeat and keep Buri from murdering him,” Katsuki said.

“Going into the Spirit World isn’t a walk in a park, brat. There are wards and precautions you need to take,” Tenko said.

“Then quit your yapping and let’s get a move on!”

——————————— —————

When Katsuki arrived at the entry point he parked the motorized scooter he’d borrowed from Tenko near a light pole and chained it in place. He heard scuffling and an injured dude in a wrecked suit came out. He lunged at Katsuki so, thanks to his six years of jujitsu, he put the guy on the ground. He rifled through the pockets and found he was called Kai Chisaki and it looked like he was a yakuza. _Well shit._ So, Katsuki used the guy’s belt and tie to hogtie him up and texted Tenko who replied with expletives and then a “ _I’ll make some calls. Stay put until a cop gets him.”_

It wasn’t too long before a plain looking guy in a police car rolled up.

“Was he this injured when you found him?’

“Yeah. Probably wanted to mug me for the scooter so I laid him out,” Katsuki said as he handed over the wallet.

“Stay safe and if we need to talk to you again, we’ll call you,” the man said as he left Katsuki a business card.

 _Naomasa Tsukauchi._ _Detective huh?_ Katsuki squared his shoulders and pulled out a potion which he chugged before he could think too much about what was in it. He then walked into the Spirit World portal, through a tunnel. He emerged in….daylight?

———————— ———————

_“Don’t let the time of the Spirit World throw you. It’s screwy and can shift to a lot of spirit world time going by and none of ours or vice versa. Get in and get out. Safest bet, brat.”_

——————————— —————————

Katsuki looked over to the left and saw food stalls and smelled….a lot of freaking disgusting stuff. He covered his nose and looked over to his right and saw a river. _Hope that’s the Deku…._ He set off in that direction and the moment he felt funny, he pulled out another potion and chugged it. Better. He was at the river.

“Oh! A human!” He looked at the water and there was a freaking mermaid talking to him.

“Need to speak with Deku.”

“Hisa? He’s up at his place. What’s a human doing here?”

“Magic shit in the human world,” Katsuki said.

“Oh! You’re an onmyoji aren’t you? Aren’t you a bit young?”

“Whatever,” Katsuki said before he turned away.

“You’re a brusque one!” Katsuki jumped and immediately fell into a fighting stance but it was a shitty ghost.

“Mirio, human’s looking for Hisa!”

“I’ll lead the way!” Mirio said as he floated ahead of Katsuki. He arrived and saw a huge gathering of spirits in a small house that definitely wasn’t there in the human world. He spotted at least one spider demon in the mix and two feathered types. There was a shimmer and he saw Izuku was with another dragon and there was a large golden guy wearing a shitty yukata laughing with them. The other dragon was sort of blue and white with green claws and eyes. His clothes were all blue and he had floppy straight hair.

“Kachan?” Izuku said before he ran over to him.

“How are you even here?”

“Portal. We gotta talk,” Katsuki said before he reached for another potion and chugged it.

“Why? Did something happen?” Izuku asked.

“Some Misty Bastard took Aunty after some creeps attacked her and Eri,” Katsuki said.

“Misty?” The other Dragon said.

“He don’t work for you?”

“No. All but a handful of the spirits sworn to me are here right now. I don’t employ any mist spirits. I’m One River for All.”

“Call me Kachan. Do you know a dragon who does because we got a faint traces of a dragon,” Katsuki said.

———————————————— ———————————

Izuku was seeing red. _How dare he after Izuku sent her away for her own sake!_

“Izu. Calm down. I know you’re pissed at my brother but if you charge in, he wins. Izu!” Uncle’s voice cut through the rage and he took a few calming breaths.

“I know exactly who did this. Thanks for letting me know, Kachan. Nejire!” Izuku said. Nejire appeared.

“Your rude human found you! What do you need, boss.”

“Please get him back to the human world. I have to deal with All Rivers in One,” Izuku said. He saw all the spirits around him wince at the tone. It wasn’t his fault in this way he was very much his father’s son.

———————— ——————————

Inko glared at the man who looked so very much like both her ex-husband and her current husband.

“In time, you’ll never remember living that life at all,” he said before he left her in her cell, leaving via a very high window he flew out of in dragon form. He was easily twice as long and as wide as Izuku currently was.Her head itched but she ignored that to try to figure out how to escape.

—————————— ———————————

“I ain’t leaving without Aunty,” Katsuki said.

“Really? How long are young going to last in the Spirit World?” Izuku said.

“I got potions,” Katsuki said.

“How many?”

“I know how to make more, Deku. I’m staying!”

“Look, onmyoji kid,” Uncle said.

“What?”

“If you cast a disenchantment spell on the food, it’ll slow the transformative effects by about….two-thirds. You’re not the first spiritualist to come here,” Uncle said.

“Fine. That means I’m staying,” Katsuki said.

“Ok, what should I do?” Izuku asked Uncle.

“Right now, he probably thinks he got away with it because you’ve not gone to the human world yet and he can tell when you do. How long did he saw he was “busy” again?”

“A week,” Izuku said.

“We can’t wait that long,” Toshinori said.

“My brother is obsessed with getting everything he lost back, so we need to see if what he’s got is really who he’s after,” Uncle said.

“Meaning?”

“We need to find out if my Mom’s the reincarnation of my first life’s mom,” Izuku said.

“Correct but that takes two days,” Uncle said.

“Or, you could just ask me, ahahaha!” Everyone jumped and saw a rat-bear-dog that had a scar over one eye had arrived when no one was looking.

“This is good tea!”

“Thanks? Uh, who are you?” Izuku asked.

“Am I a bear, a rat, or a dog? I’m Nedzu, Lord Enma’s #1 Assistant!” Nedzu said. He shot Uncle a weird look which had him look away.

“Really? _You_ work for Enma?” Katsuki said.

“I do indeed! Your time isn’t for a while yet,” Nedzu said as his eyes seemed to stare right through Katsuki’s soul. Izuku had the feeling that this was no ordinary assistant of Lord Enma.

“Is my mom….Kohino’s mother reincarnated?” Izuku asked.

“Nope! Inko Midoriya-Akatani has always been born as a human! She’s a bit of a rare soul for that to happen and I love to keep an eye on those! Your dragon mother didn’t reincarnate and lives in the part of the Spirit World inhabited by those spirits who have shed their own bodies,” Nedzu said.

“Any advice for getting Father to stop?” Izuku asked.

“Afraid not. All Rivers in One has and always will be exceptionally stubborn. The only way to win is to outmaneuver him or out stubborn him, or both like your Uncle!” Nedzu said. With that the assistant to Lord Enma finished his tea and vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Who was that really?” Izuku asked his Uncle.

“I can’t say,” Uncle said.

“And what the hell did he mean by Father and Uncle?” Katsuki said.

“My first life was Kohino, the original river god of this river and its original name. The Dehisa family dammed up the river and killed him. All Rivers in One was his father and this is his younger brother,” Izuku said.

“My Brother, for centuries, has been trying to recreate the family he lost and I’d foolishly hoped the Arrangement would keep him from continuing this but…I was wrong,” Uncle said.

“Then what do we do to get Aunty back before he tries to make her into someone she’s not?” Katsuki asked.

“I might have a plan,” Nana said as she raised her hand, feathers fluttering as she did so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nedzu's showing up is due to the fact he noticed AfO took Inko into the Spirit World. So, he rolled his eyes, muttered "not again" and pulled Inko's records to double check she was the oh-so-very interesting human-only incarnation soul he's been keeping track of before he headed to Izuku's domain, logically deducing that sooner or later the young river god would find out what AfO did.
> 
> This is the first multi-chapter fic of the series. I seem to have a pattern of doing a style break with the last one  
>  _side eyes the **Lab Rat** series_.  
> This is a two-parter with an epilogue+ Omakes.  
> The Omakes are ideas I just couldn't work into the story as it unfolded without being clunky.  
> Who knows, I might add other omakes later.  
> But for now, after the last part of this is posted I'm done with this series.  
> It's been a blast! ^_^


	2. Deku's Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to rescue Inko, hopefully everyone can pull this off without too much pain.

Katsuki sneezedfrom the feather cloak strapped around his shoulders. His hair was covered by spider-silk woven into a hood. The golden wolf—Toshinori—looked epic as he ran ahead of Katsuki and the bird woman who was carrying him. Izuku was flying from a different direction towards the same castle.

————— ———

_“First. Kid, you reek! Humans smell like dogshit to us. So, we use my feathers and Goro’s silk to cover that up,” Bird woman—Nana said._

_“Second, Toshinori’s going to change the weather in that direction. If I’m flying after him, it’s not weird. I usually stop in and chat with him as he changes the weather. Third. Izuku, you need to be distraction. You’ll fly up like you own the place and the vassals probably won’t know to not let you in if he’s still the same as he ever was.”_

_“It’s ok. I can emulate him enough to bully my way past,” Izuku said. His voice was tight with anger._

_“I’m going to drop you into the place where the human smell is strongest. All Rivers in One hates humans for causing the deaths of his mate and offspring so human smell isn’t going to be normal for his place. That’s when you get in, get Inko out, and use your magic to signal Tori. He’ll swoop down and get you both and book it to Deku’s domain where he’s going to drop you both in the water. Nejire. Tamaki. Be on the lookout for them and drag them back to the human world. Any questions or suggestions?” Nana said._

_“I’ll add to the distraction by sending him a message,” One River for All said._

_“Oh? And?”_

_“With Urara as my messenger, that’ll be another flier in the mix to get Kachan and Inko to safety,” he said._

_“How will Kachan land?” Izuku said._

_“Kid’s human, Nana.”_

_“Unless….Goro, Nana, can you use your webs and her feathers to make a glider?” Izuku said._

_“You’re a genius!” Goro said pounding his left hands on his chest._

_––––––––––––––––––––––––– —————————————————_

Nana made small talk with Toshinori and then peeled away over the castle.

“Get ready to drop. See that tower? He’s got a human in there!” Nana said and then Katsuki was free falling. He struggled with the cloak until it caught the wind like a glider, just as the nerd had designed it. To be honest, Katsuki did feel like a badass for the moments he was gliding through the air. Then he saw a dragon bastard who wasn’t Deku so he pulled it close to drop and spread it out again barely in time to grab the ledge of the window.

———————————————— ———————

Inko tugged at her ears as if that would change them back to humanoid ears instead of….sheep. There was a pair of horns growing too. Sheep horns. Inko didn’t remember much about her time as a sheep, and Izuku didn’t talk about it much either. Either way, whatever this delusional dragon wanted, she was going to be stuck as a sheep again. She heard shouts and alarms and what sounded like cloth snapping. She looked up and saw someone glided down with a strange cloak of spider-silk and feathers. When she saw the face, she knew who it was instantly.

“Ka—.”

“Call me Kachan here. Real names ain’t safe, Aunty,” Katsuki said. He dug through his pack and he had a potion he offered her and she drank it. It made her cough but it also made her feel more like herself than she’d been in days.

“How do we get out?” Inko asked. Katsuki dug through his bag and pulled out his ink and brushes.

“By making a door!”

——————— —————————

All Rivers in One was not having a good day. First his brother sends his messenger in with a message that seemed to all but accuse him of trying to take over Izuku’s river and once he was done being annoyed at that, he got word of his Little Stream disobeying him because the week wasn’t up yet, and now an intruder.He stormed out of his study to find his son was waiting for him and the younger dragon was so angry his eyes were glowing.

“You’ve been to the human world, Little Stream.”

“Where. Is. She?”

“She was never part of our agreement, Young One.”

“My mistake because I didn’t think you’d stoop so low as to take a human from the human world even after she was already free of this.”

“Izuku. You’re letting your emotions control your actions,” All for One said.

————————— —————

The use of his real name threw Izuku a little.

“Of course I know your real name, Little Stream. It was the first thing I found out about you. Now, don’t lie to me. Are you involved with the intruder?” F-All Rivers in One said.

“Define involved, Father,” Izuku spat.

“As in, is his presence part of some silly plot to stop me from bringing your mother back fully and properly?”

“She’s not Kohino’s mother.”

“Oh, and how do you know that?”

“Lord Enma’s Assistant Nedzu said so,” Izuku said.

“Oh, that was Lord Enma himself. He’s fond of playing little games with people.”

“Are you saying he lied to me.”

“I’m saying it’s possible he only told you what you wanted to hear.” All Rivers in One tried to move around Izuku but he wasn’t about to let him.

“Are you challenging me, Little One?”

“I’m not letting you do this!”

“Very well, perhaps it’s time you learned your place!”

——————————— ———————

The wall blew out with sand everywhere but this time, Katsuki didn’t care about the strange sand. There was now a hole and it led outside into a courtyard. A floating girl with a round face was over head. Katsuki used a spell tag as a flare. Just as she dove down, a green and white dragon was flung through a wall and landed in the dirt. It was Izuku.

“Take her and go, Round Face!” Katsuki said as he shoved Inko into the girl’s arms. He pulled out a pair of tags and barely flung them at a larger dragon before it could impale him. The resultant blast made it shriek. Katsuki pulled more and saw the eyes were glowing red.

**_“Little Onmyoji. Trespassing are we?”_ **

“At least I didn’t send a misty bastard into another word to steal someone!” Katsuki yelled back.

“Ka-chan. Run. I’ll hold him off,” Izuku said as he got up. He was covered in bite and claw marks.

“Hell no, Deku! I ain’t gonna let you get killed.”

“He won’t kill me and I’m not done yet,” Izuku said. Katsuki noticed he was glowing with green electric energy that made his own hair stand on end.

“Fuck. You’d better make it out!” He yelled before he flung seals around the courtyard and once he was up on a wall, thanks to a piece of rubble that acted as a ramp, he tossed one behind him and flung ink on it and yelled the sutra, sealing both dragons in for at least long enough to get away. He saw Nana was back and he ran and leapt at her. He rode away as lightning crackled the sky.

————————— ———————————

Izuku had gone completely feral. If it wasn’t aimed at him, All for One might have been impressed, proud even. His Little Stream a proper Storm God. But, this raw, unrestrained power could kill them both if he didn’t contain his offspring _now_.

“This hurts me more than it’ll hurt you,” he said as he put more of an effort into the battle to end it faster. A bolt slammed into his shoulder and it nearly staggered him but he pushed through the hit and had Izuku pinned. Being the stronger in magic and strength he forced Izuku back into his humanoid form and soon the boy collapsed. He stood back, relieved to see that while the boy was hurt, he wasn’t permanently damaged.That’s when something blind-sided him into the ward walls. He broke free in time to see Izuku was gone and the hint of a ribbon like tail as it disappeared over a wall and out into the world.

_Toshinori! The Okami will pay!_

———————————— ——————

Toshinori had never run as fast as this in his life but he couldn’t let Young Deku be captured. His paws turned grass to ashes and sand to glass from the heat he was generating. The storms behind him were a maelstrom that would hamper any aerial pursuit. He was almost to the river when something ripped into his side. With a final push, he flung his charge forwards, he collapsed and saw that the youngest dragon had landed safely within the bounds out his own domain. A web shot around his front foot and dragged him as he blacked out.

————————— ——————————————

“He’s hurt!” Goro yelled once they’d gotten Toshinori to the relative safety of the Dehisa/Deku domain.

“I’ll take him,” One for All had arrived.

“Did Urara get the woman out?” Nana asked.

“She did. What about the Onmyoji brat?”

“He’s safe. Wet and swearing up a storm but safe,” Nana said.

“One of us needs to stay with the kid while he heals,” Goro said.

“I’ll do it. I have the best shot against All for One with Toshi out of commission for a bit,” Nana said.

“I’ll stay too. Better to have back up!” Goro said.

“The rest of us will retreat then,” One for All said as he carefully picked up Toshinori.

————————— ———————————

It was a month in the human world later that Izuku returned to his river. Aka—who he’d found out was named Eri— was waiting for him.

“Mr. Deku!” She said as she hugged him. This time, there was no zap.

“Where’s your talisman?”

“Don’t need it! Kachi taught me how to make a spell with ink and paper!” Eri said.

“I bet you’re already better than him,” Izuku said.

“Not yet but someday!”

“You’re not dead.” Izuku saw Katsuki had arrived.

“No. How long has it been here?”

“A month. Aunty’s still a bit shaken and Buri’s being protective but not too smothery. Your Deadbeat has been helping ward the town for any spirits that ain’t you. We used the river to do some shit to make sure it won’t zap you,” Katsuki said.

“Deadbeat? Oh. Hisashi,” Izuku said.

“What’s a dead-beat?”

“Someone who doesn’t take care of the stuff they’re supposed to like kids,” Katsuki said.

“Eri! Time to go home!” Hikari yelled from the other side of the bridge.

“Oh. Bye Mr. Deku!” Eri said before she ran off.

“Oh, and Eri’s problems are taken care of too.”

“Problems?”

“Creeps tried to take her because her granddad’s a yakuza and her mom ran off,” Katsuki said.

“Really! I guess that’s why Eri asked if I could grant wishes,” Izuku said.

“Yeah, well, Tenko being a cocky shit worked out because lots of goons in government owed him favors and the shit’s been sorted. They’ll be ok. So, how’re things on your side?”

“I’ve come to a new Arrangement with All Rivers in One,” Izuku said.

“Don’t tell me you’re still talking to him!”

“He’s my neighbor and…I pity him. Also, geography is….fluid in the Spirit World. I got him to agree to almost all of my demands by threatening to move my river to the other side of the Bathhouse’s domain. I can’t move it beyond which side it’s on because of the physical location of it in the human world and if he wanted to continue to be my neighbor, he had to immediately promise to never try to turn another woman into the Nagisa River goddess,” Izuku said.

“He doesn’t deserve shit.”

“Uncle and Toshinori said the same thing but…I don’t want him to go back into his habit of taking humans and trying to shape them into copies of my first life and his mate and as sad as this is, he’s still been a better parent than Hisashi ever was.”

_“Bakugo, is that the River God I see?”_

“Speak of the Deadbeat Devil,” Katsuki said. Seeing Hisashi for the first time in years, Izuku was struck by the fact his face meant nothing to him beyond that he looked like All Rivers in One. He suspected, even if he hadn’t been raised by two dragons and a wolf okami for his new father figures, Hisashi still would have meant nothing to him. Just a hunch and the fact Buri seemed to be a good man.

“Ishiki. The River God of the Deku River. Deku, I know you already know him. I’m gonna go warn Geezer so he doesn’t stop by and try to deck Deadbeat for breaking the agreement for him to stay the Hell away,” Katsuki said as he left.

“You don’t go by Dehisa?” _He doesn’t recognize me._

“No. I find it distasteful to use the name of those who dammed my river,” Izuku said as he went into “emulate that cold bastard” mode, as Tori called it.

“And instead you use the alternate readings.”

“Correct. Do you have a point in being here?” Izuku asked as he crossed his arms.

“I was told you were friendly.”

“Only to those who live here.”

“Why, because you count them as yours?”

“No. Because they’re mostly good people,” Izuku said.

“You don’t even know me.”

“That makes it perfect because you don’t know me. Never did and never will,” Izuku said. He turned to go back into the water.

“No…. _I-Izuku_?!” _Oh,_ ** _now_** _he gets it as I walk away. How typical._

“You can read the kanji like that too,” Izuku replied without turning around.

“I don’t understand. Humans don’t just become River Gods.”

“Not unless a River God became human first,” Izuku replied.

“You’re…happy with this life?”

“As happy as I can be. Have a good life, Hisashi Ishiki. I plan on it,” Izuku said before he dove into the water.

———————————————— ——————————————————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Katsuki once again gets custody of the single F-bomb!
> 
> Izuku as a storm god: Technically, I already mentioned in this tangent that River Gods can affect the weather of their domains.  
> Izuku's just awakened to it a bit early since in relative terms, he and his river are still very young.
> 
> Something his first life never lived long enough to do or the Dehisa family of the past would have died and the Dehisa family of the present wouldn't exist.
> 
> Izuku confronting his human father-Honestly, that was a spur of the moment thing.  
> Because despite crossing a line, AfO has sort of been a better parent to Izuku than I've portrayed Hisashi (mostly due to the Arrangement I'll admit, but at least he respected the Arrangement enough to follow the letter of it if not the spirit).  
> I wanted Izuku to have a chance to really see that his life was his now. It was a  
> 
> 
> moment. 
> 
> Izuku already knows AfO has no power over him, hence he's able to use the Arrangement to get the Old Dragon to somewhat behave or as much as AfO can behave.  
> Which isn't a lot but it's better than nothing and hopefully the way I've portrayed AfO shows is that under his other BS he does actually care about Izuku-even if he doesn't respect boundaries all that well.  
> He's learning—slowly—and again, the Arrangement _is_ forcing him to deal with learning to respect those unless he wants to lose the one thing he can't simply replace.  
> AfO knows this from trying and failing to do so. 
> 
> Maybe in a hundred years, Izuku will give AfO a "World's Ok-est Dad" mug. Maybe.  
> Naturally, Toshinori and Uncle OfA will get the #1 Dad Mugs (with Toshi's saying #1 Yellow Dad) and Buri getting #1 Step-Dad Mugs in the interim.


	3. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We take a glimpse into the near future.

Inko looked over at Buri who was still so, so careful with their new son and gave him a soft smile. Little Itsuki was such a good baby. He had Buri’s bushy curls and it seemed like he’d have her green eyes.

“Time for us to meet with Izuku,” she told Buri who snapped out of his overly cautious freeze and scooped the little one up and placed him in the baby sling Inko wore.

“Headband or no?” Buri asked as he tapped his head. While the sheep ears had reverted, Inko was stuck with a short pair of sheep horns. Luckily, with the right accessory, it just looked like a headband. She’d sworn she’d seen a teenage girl in the river with a similar headband. Inko put the headband on and soon they were out the door, picnic basket and blankets in hand with Buri wearing the diaper bag. It was overstuffed by Buri who had all the usual first time parent jitters to Inko’s amusement. When they arrived, Eri was already on the bank with Hikari, Katuski, and Tenko. If Inko didn’t know any better, she’d think Tenko was Hikari’s brother, but she did. She saw the shrine the students had built after the flood was now a more solid construction and it was covered in offerings. _With as dry as it’s been, I’m sure most of that is praying for rain._

She saw the shimmers in the water as Izuku approached and burst out of the water, showing off for those who could see him before he landed on the bank in humanoid form. Eri glommed him before Katsuki punched him in the arm. Then suddenly he was in front of Inko and looking at Itsuki as if he was the most fascinating thing ever.

“Can I hold him?” Izuku asked.

“Be careful and support his neck,” Inko said as she offered him his little brother. The Baby looked up at the Dragon and merely yawned.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Izuku said as he gently stroked the baby’s cheek.

“Itsuki,” Inko said.

“It suits him,” Izuku said with a grin.

“Think you can babysit sometime?” Buri asked.

“I can try but these won’t make changing a diaper easy,” Izuku said after he handed Itsuki back to Inko and held up his clawed hands.

“Fair point. Maybe cash in that after he’s potty trained,” Buri said with a laugh.

“I can definitely promise to teach him how to swim,” Izuku said.

“How long can you stay?”

“Until the afternoon’s over,” Izuku said.

“Then let’s make the most of it,” Inko said.

—————————————————— ————————————

Izuku arrived in the Spirit World after he’d finished his duties and saw food had been left on his table. Another peace-offering.

“You know I’m not going to show up to Dinner until tomorrow,” he said to seemingly thin air.

“I had to try,” All for One said as he walked into view on his side of the riverbank.

“You want to speak, do it quick. Shouto and his siblings will be here soon,” Izuku said.

“What do you plan on doing about the residual spirit energy on your human mother?”

“She chose to keep the horns,” Izuku said.

“Horns that are more like yours than a common sheep.”

“Actually, lots of “common” sheep have horns and lots of those have both rams and ewes with horns,” Izuku said.

“It’s going to get her noticed.”

“Then it does. Luckily there are two and a half onmyoji who live in town,” Izuku said, “I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner.” All Rivers in One left.

Izuku’s life was strange but…he wouldn’t trade it for another because it was one he’d made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about the little baby OC's name:  
> Itsuki —from a kanji that means shrub, tree, or bush. With his hair being Buri’s color, it made sense for the name to sort of mean "red valley bush" as a whole since "Akatani" means "Red Valley."
> 
> I gave Izuku a baby brother because a) adorable and b) I just wanted to imagine a sort of mini-Izuku running around but as a pallet swap to keep that gag running.
> 
> Thanks for reading this series. It really has been a blast for me to write.


	4. Omakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Omake 1: Shimura Family Reunion  
> Tenko spots something in the sky above the river.
> 
> Omake 2: Mirror, Mirror, Mirror  
> A look-a-like, a doppelgänger, and an identical stranger walk into a bar-er- _town_....
> 
> Omake 3: The Big 3 and Eri  
> Eri makes some new friends.

Omake 1: Shimura Family Reunion

Tenko was out of batteries for his old-model gameboy. _Time to run down to the store and get more_.

“Watch the shop, Brat!” Tenko said.Katsuki yelled something back but Tenko was already out the door. The river was busy as usual. The teenagers who’d seen Izuku during the flood were making offerings at the shrine, little kids were playing with Eri as Inko watched them with Itsuki sleeping on Buri’s lap nearby.There was a fluttering of feathers as he looked up and saw a hou-ou. A spirit woman with wings landed next to him.

“Sorry, about that, you just reminded me of…” she trailed off and Tenko stared at her. Hana had a picture of her!

“Aren’t you supposed to be dead or old or something?” Tenko said. She had the same mole as he did. Hana had looked like her and had her picture. She was touching the mole on her face as she stared at him.

“Kotaru?”

“What? No. He’s dead, I’m his son, Tenko,” Tenko replied.

“Right…it was the hair. Did anyone ever talk about me?”

“Gramps missed you. Had a shrine but I never saw the picture until Hana stole it,” Tenko said.

“Are you happy?” She asked.

“Yeah. Took over the shop, have plenty of work and time to game, even have a few friends,” Tenko said.

“That’s good to hear. I have to go.” With that she was a hou-ou again and she flew up along the river until she vanished.

* * *

Omake 2: Mirror, Mirror, Mirror

Buri loved fishing. The fact his step-son was the dragon river god and could make the fish population larger meant he could go fishing more often. Izuku wasn’t very good at human fishing, but he had fun when they’d go together. Izuku had just left to go back to his river god duties leaving Buri alone with his line. So when a shadow fell over him he wasn’t too annoyed, at first, until he looked up. It was his unwelcome doppelgänger Hisashi Ishiki AKA Inko’s ex.

“Can I help you, Ishiki?”

“Was that Izuku?”

“Yes. He has work to do.”

“He made time for you.”

“Well, I made time for him. Funny how that works.”

“I just wanted to ask him about the sightings of a larger red-and-white dragon spotted in other rivers nearby,” Ishiki said.

“Larger dragon?” They both looked at the water and Izuku was back—albeit in his dragon form. He looked up and rolled his eyes in displeasure. He was out of the river in human form and glared up at the sky.

“You’re not subtle!” He yelled at the sky.

“Oh, but that wasn’t my point.” Buri and Ishiki started at a voice like theirs speaking. On the bridge above them, leaning on the railing was a version of Ishiki with dragon traits, like Izuku but in red and white with a black mane on the dragon tail and more fin like ears.

“Buri. Hisashi. Meet All Rivers in One,” Izuku said.

“The jerk who—.” Buri was cut off by Izuku nodding.

“Jerk’s such a strong word, mortal,” All Rivers in One said.

“You’re technically in my domain, so obey the rules or get banned again,” Izuku said.

“Very well. Remember, we have dinner with the Lady of Eternal Winter tomorrow night,” All Rivers in One said before he turned into a dragon and flew away.

“What the Hell is he to you?” Buri asked.

“Complicated but my first life was his son,” Izuku said.

“Is that possible?” Buri asked Ishiki.

“It is. It would explain how Izuku turned into a river god dragon,” Ishiki said.

“So, is he one of the sort of foster things you mentioned before?” Buri asked.

“Him and Uncle—One River for All. I spent more time under One River for All’s care than his,” Izuku said with a shrug.

“He…doesn’t look like us too, does he?” Buri asked. Izuku burst out laughing and shook his head.

* * *

Omake 3: The Big 3 and Eri

Eri carefully ran along the water racing fish and other things when she saw a pretty girl’s face.

“Hi!” The girl stopped and came out of the water. A mermaid!

“You must be the little girl Hisa is friends with! Call me Nejire! I think I’m going to steal his nickname for you, Aka!” Nejire said. _Only Mr. Deku calls me Aka._

“Is Hisa what you call Mr. Deku?”

“Yep! I think it’s cuter than Deku,” Nejire said.

“Oh. Ok. Mr.Deku said there were two mermaids,” Eri said.

“Tamaki’s a mer _man_ and he’s a bit shy,” Nejire said. Eri saw the the merman was hiding behind the mermaid.

“Oh. It’s ok! I won’t bite!” Eri said. Tamaki came out from behind Nejire.

“Our Ghost Friend’s a little lost right now. No one’s seen him for a bit so we think he got stuck out here in the Human World. Will you help us find him?” Nejire said.

“What’s he look like?” Eri asked.

“He’s got yellow hair and blue eyes and an infectious smile,” Nejire said. Eri nodded and looked around before she began to look along the river,

“Mr. Ghost!” She called.

“Over here!” She looked at the ground and saw a friendly face with a nice smile the made Eri want to smile too.

“Are you Nejire’s ghost friend?”

“I am! Call me Mirio!” The ghost said when he got out of the ground he looked all blue-y.

“I thought she said your hair was yellow?”

“In the Spirit World it is! Out here, I look a bit different,” Mirio said.

“They’re worried and want to make sure you’re ok,” Eri said.

“Thanks! I got a bit turned around,” Mirio said. Eri ran with him back to the river.

“Mirio! Thank goodness. How’d you get stuck out here?” Nejire said.

“Not sure, but thanks to this little girl I’m back!” Mirio said. He patted her head and she batted his hand away.

"No! You'll mess it up!"

"Sorry!" Mirio said with a huge grin.

“Do…do you know any stories?” Eri asked.

“We know plenty! Does Hisa tell you stories?” Nejire asked. Eri nodded.

“Then why don’t we start with…Mirio telling you all about the place he haunts in the Spirit World!” Nejire said. Eri sat down with a huge smile.

“Ok, so the Bathhouse is a very old and magical place….”

——————————— —————————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1: I had wanted Nana to meet Tenko but it just never fit into the main flow of things.
> 
> 2: Once I made the pallet swap joke, I knew I had to-somehow-get all three of these nearly-identical men together for the AWKWARD it would cause.
> 
> 3: I just wanted Eri to have more friends. She deserves ALL THE FRIENDS. (oh dear, that meme reference probably dated me...oy)
> 
> I may eventually go back and add other omakes as extra chapters to this fic (likely bundled together) but I'm going to mark this as complete for now.


End file.
